Somerset vs http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Worcestershire-c866 – County Championship Division One – Rehman’s nine ensures Somerset stroll
An Abdur Rehman-led rout helped Somerset compile further misery on bottom side Worcestershire after the left-armer picked up 9 for 65 to halt the opponents at 212 on day 1 of the final County Championship Division Game, played at the County Ground, Taunton, September 11, 2012.
The home crowd then ended the day watching openers, skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Arul-Suppiah-c1084, share an unbeaten 142-run stand, with both men crossing half-centuries.
The performance will still remain a consolation for Somerset after http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Warwickshire-c862 were crowned champions last week. However, a win here virtually ensures their second place finish and a forces them to rethink on what could the team had done differently over the course of the season.
Two factors already spring to mind – the absence of Trescothick for the best part of the campaign and the late perseverance in a quality bowler. Losing their premier batsman to injury dealt a considerable blow to the team’ chances, while the delayed acquisition of Rehman also left them short of fire-power in the bowling department when they needed the most.
Both men were in thick of things in the final game, with the left-armer picking up career-best 9 for 65 on a pitch which did not totally favoured spinners. But his determination to keep things tight and bowl at seemingly difficult areas proved decisive following a strong 74-run opening stand between skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Daryl-Mitchell-c52533 (28) and Phil Hughes (42).
Both openers looked in total control in the first hour of play but soon came unstuck against Rehman, who dismissed the duo in back to back overs. That set the tone of the remaining innings; the only blip in his figures coming courtesy http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Russell-c87177.
In reply, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Somerset-c843 were carried forward by Trescothick’s brilliance in the initial period, who ended on 66, before Suppiah took over and managed to outscore his skipper at stumps, posting 73.
"It was a fantastic day for me," Rehman said of his career-best figures. "When a fast bowler takes wickets like that, no-one says a thing, when the spinner does that they say the pitch is no good! They had two spinners bowling on it and we're no wicket down so that shows I had to do something right. A few balls turned but not every ball.
"I bowled in good areas and stopped them scoring, didn't give them any easy runs. The pitch is a little bit slow so I mixed up my pace: a few slower, few flatter. And I was happy when they tried to play a few shots."
Tags: